Carters In Alaska: Animal Wildlife Conservation Center

At mile 79 of the Seward Highway, we reached the Animal Wildlife Conservation Center. The center takes in orphaned and injured animals. You can find more about what they do at this web site:

http://www.awcc.org/web/home.html

We timed it just right and arrived at feeding time, so the animals came fairly close to the fence for pictures. We took a break for a picnic lunch too.

MAGPIE WHO CAME BY WHEN WE WERE EATING OUR PICNIC

ELK

GRIZZLY BEAR

SMALL BLACK BEAR

BLACK BEAR

PORCUPINE

Porcupine Videos

MUSK OX

Mothers are very protective of their babies. This cow kept her baby behind her when I tried to take pictures. Finally, the little guy peeked out on his own. This is how these animals have survived for thousand of years. They put their young and feeble in the center of a circle. The adults all face outward and stand shoulder to shoulder. Any predator has to deal with those horns to try to get at their prey.

Another thing that has helped the musk ox survive in theArctic is the extremely warm under coat of hair, called quiviut. There are actually three layers of hair. What you see on some of the adults is the quiviut working it's way from the underneath part through the guard hairs on the outside. The quiviut is very valuable. It is combed or collected, cleaned and processed into yarn. Then it is distributed to women in native villages. They knit the yarn in specific patterns to make hats and scarves. It is a way for the people in the villages to make some money.